Refrigerating apparatus, package and method



Sept. 29, 1931. c. JONES ETAL 1,825,068

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS, PACKAGE, AND METHOD Filed April 28, 1930 c INVENTOR 6 3b (Way-Zea I1. .fizna v .l owarddf flvauv ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca CHARLES L. JONES, OF IELHAM, NEW YORK, AND HOWARD S. MCILVAIN, OF BELLE- VILLE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOBS TO DBYICE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE REFRIGEBATING APPARATUS, PACKAGE AND METHOD Application filed April 28,

Our present invention is shown as embodied in a refrigerated package adapted for storage or transportation which is somewhat analogous to that set forth in Slate Patent 1,595,426, in so much as the elements comprise an outer casing of insulating material having stored, and preferably packed, therein perishable products and a container of solid carbon dioxide for refrigerating the same. It involves improvements thereon, as concerns the latter element, even when the products are frozen; and the preferred forms differ therefrom, in that the products are such as would be damaged either by freezing or by contact with carbon dioxide gas except in very dilute mixtures with air.

The exterior casing of the package and also the solid carbon dioxide container may be of paper carton construction, as has been common in the practise of said Slate invention, but our present package is constructed on the principle of refrigerating the products by absorption of heat through the walls of the container of solid carbon dioxide, the latter being formed and arranged so that most or all of the gas from the latter is discharged directly to the outside of the package. The body of gas within the container being thus kept separate from the atmosphere surrounding the products and having a direct path to the exterior, the latter atmosphere may be kept as pure as desired; and local over-refrigeration or freezing is obviated, because the cooling is by convection currents of this relatively pure air atmosphere, circulating from the exterior of the refrigerant container to the remoter, warmer parts of the refrigerated space. Even so, the refrigerant container must be of highly effective insulating material or construction in order to avoid possibility of freezing products nearest thereto. Consequently, one feature of our invention involves providing a container or containers of large area adequate for the required rate of conductive heat absorption, distributed through the refrigerated space. This is accomplished by employing one or more containers having highly insulating substantially gas-tight Walls extending entirely 1930. Serial No. 448,053.

across the outer enclosing container and arranged to discharge its gas through one or both of the walls against which its ends abut.

While our invention is preferably thus embodied in very simple, cheap construction, the principle of disposing highly insulated refrigerant containers in or among the products to conductively distribute refrigerant values therein but havin their ends arranged to discharge into or t rough the oute' walls of the casing, may be embodied in more elaborate or permanent construction. Moreover, in either type of construction, we may provide for a permissible leakage or diffused flow of a small part of the gas into the refrigerated space while controlling the amount and concentration thereof within the limits permissible for the particular fruits, berries or vegetables that are to be refrigerated. In either case, the invention provides for arrangement of the refrigerant containers in conductive relation to the atmosphere thereof so that the distribution of the refrigerant values is maintained independently of the carbon dioxide gas sublimating therefrom and within limits independently of which side up'the package maybe placed during transportation.

The above and other features of our invention may be more fully understood from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a package embodying one form of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of another form of our invention; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44, Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the outer container is shown as a shipping carton having walls comprising two thicknesses of corrugated board 1, which may be of conventional construction, the ends being formed by flaps folded over from the opposite ride and end walls respectively. These walls may be of ordinary paper board relatively permeable for escape of carbon dioxide gas and inflow of air. Placed within the outer container are the containers 2, for the solid carbon dioxide 5, preferably comprised of an outer corrugated wallS having its inner surface faced with asphalt 4 or any material which is substantially or fairly impermeable to carbon dioxide gas. The cellular construction and thickness of the container walls is designed to afford heat insulation enough to prevent dangerously low temperatures such as might freeze the perishable products either by conduction or by convection currents in the air of the refrigerated space.

Because of the relatively high temperature of the containers of solid carbon dioxide, thcy are of relatively large surface area and this area is suitably distributed by making them relatively long and locating them in properly selected regions of the refrigerated space. An advantageous arrangement is to locate one in an upper region of the refrigerator and one in a lower region, arranging them at right angles to each other. They are long enough to fit into the refrigerator so as to extend entirely across the same, with the ends tightly pressed against the inner opposite faces of the walls 1. It will be observed that the ends of the refrig erant containers 2 are preferably open and while it is not necessary that both ends be open, nevertheless at least one should be open, or if closed at both ends, the closure should be highly permeable to carbon dioxide gas.

The container for the solid carbon dioxide, being made substantially impermeable to carbon dioxide gas, will not allow any appreciable amount of the gas to escape into the refrigerating or storage space, the only means of egress for the gas being by leakage through the sides 1 which as before stated, are more permeable to the gas than the solid carbon dioxide container. This leakage being small, contact of the carbon dioxide gas with the product 6 may be controlled and prevented to any desired extent.

It Will be understood that the ends of the refrigerant container will be tightly pressed against the inner faces of the'walls 1, so that the carbon dioxide gas would not leak between the ends of the container 2 and walls 1 into the space occupied by'the product to be refrigerated, sufficiently toproduce a carbon dioxide gas concentration higher than is desirable, to the detriment of the product 6. In certain cases, the joint may be sealed by packing or glue, or asphalt paint or pure rubber cement.

There are a number of changes that may be made, as for instance the solid carbon dioxide container can be located near one side or the other rather than in the center as shown, or one such container instead of two can be used, or the impermeable facing 4 can be on the outer surface of the container 2 instead of on the inner face as here shown. However, by the arrangement as shown in Fi 1 and 2, we obtain results which heretofifre have been considered impossible, mainly because in use, particularly when shipped, the package will not be kept right side up, but will be left any side up it happens to fall. or which happens to be most convenient for the shippers. Hence, the importance of the present arrangement, which may be allowed to travel from its starting point to its destination in a reverse or upside-down position, yet there would 'be no danger whatever of any part of the contents not receiving the same amount of refrigeration that it would if the package were rightside-up. Moreover, if the package rests on any one of its side walls, there will be at least one refrigerant container extending to the highest level in the refrigerated space and therefore adapted to maintain top-tobottom convection currents throughout the refrigerated atmosphere. This will be supplemented by the circulation from the horizontal source at the opposite vertical wall, the result being that the thermo circulation of the air will be produced from substantially and in substantially all directions in the refrigerated space.

It will be evident that this criss-cross arrangement of long containers affords advantageous thermo circulation even when the parcels are of ice cream or other frozen products and when the cold carbon dioxide gas is discharged inside the refrigerated space.

In Figs. 3 and 4 we have shown a somewhat different arrangement wherein only one container of solid carbon dioxide is used. These figures show the outer container with walls 1?) enclosing the product 2?) to be refrigerated therein. As in Figs. 1 and 2, the product may be contained in ordinary basrets or boxes. In the refrigerator and extending from the top to the bottom, preferably in the center, is the solid carbon dioxide container 36, which is of slightly different construction from the solid carbon dioxide container shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In Figs. 3 and 4, this container 3?; is shown as comprising two layers of corrugated board. having between them a layer of material 4?) substantially impermeable to carbon dioxide gas.

In this construction also the open ends of the solid carbon dioxide container should press very tightly-against the inner sides of the Walls 1?), but due to the weight of the carbon dioxide gas, its tendency will naturally be to sink to the bottom, consequently most of the venting of the gas will be done through the bottom. However, should part of the gas escape through the layer 4?; or between this layer and the walls of the refrigerator it will collect in the duct 5?) and flow downward to the bottom. Theflutes of the corrugations of this outer corrugated board preferabl run vertically to facilitate such flow an' .a smallbo tom vent 60 may be provided to facilitate its escape. Obviously, the corrugations or flutes of both the walls of the refri erant containers may run lengthwise thereo and the exterior sur-' face may be asphalted in addition to or as a substitute for-the inner asphalt layers described above.

It is known that different products can withstand different concentrations of car-' bon dioxide gas without ill effects; to be specific, potatoes are not injured by concentrations up to 50% carbon dioxide while some berries may show injury at concentrations as low as 25%. Where more carbon dioxide gas than is desired leaks, into the refrigerator chamber, this difficulty will be overcome by substituting around the solid carbon dioxide a material less permeable than that already there. If the product to be refrigerated is too sensitive to carbon dioxide gas and it becomes desirableto fur-' ther guard against contact of gas therewith, vents or holes in any desired number such as indicated at 7 and 66 maybe provided to allow free venting directly to the atmosphere of the gas from within the solid carn dioxide container or from the drainage corrugation, as at 60. The vents 7, 6?), may be mere pin-holes or needle holes since their function is to prevent accumulation of pressure while minimizing danger of inbreathing of air. Vent 60 may be larger, since it does not open directly into the refrigerant storage space.

Vents may also be made in other parts of the exterior casing to allow escape of excess gas from the refrigerated space.

In the foregoing, we have shown that any desired concentration of carbon dioxide gas may be provided within a refrigerator chamber by changing the permeability of the material surrounding the refrigerant or the material from which the outer container is constructed, or by the providing of vents from the refrigerant container to the atmosphere, or from the interior of the package to the atmosphere. We have also shown that by our special arrangement of solid carbon dioxide in an inner container or covering with special reference to the outer container and product to be refrigerated, we can supply refrigeration in proper or sufficient amounts regardless of the position of the, refrigerating receptacle.

As concerns the broader aspects and utilities of the relatively long refrigerant containers and their disposition in the package independently of whether the products are frozen or unfrozen, it will be found that while size and shape of the package is far from being the essence of the invention, the

source and, as concerns lateral distances, if these are too great as compared with the height of the source, the thermo circuit will close without reaching far enough. Hence, the value of having elongated containers for the refrigerant; of having two such containers, one at the top and one at the bottom of the package, and of arranging them in criss cross relation.

We claim:

1. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein'and refrigerant means com prising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally one at the bottom and one at the top thereof.

2. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein and refrigerant means comprising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally from side to side of said outer container.

3. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein and refrigerant means comprising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally, one at the bottom and one at the top thereof, from side to side of said outer container.

4. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein andrefrigerant means comprising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally, one at the bottom and one at the top thereof, from side to side of said outer container approximately midway between the other two opposite sides thereof.

5. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein and refrigerant means comprising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable ,to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally, one at the bottom and one at the top thereof, from side to side of said outer container approximately midway between the other two opposite sides thereof, the containers being substantially impermeable to gas, heat-absorbing walls and' being arranged to discharge gas outside the refrigerated space.

6. A package including an outer insulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein and refrigerant means comprising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontally, one at the bottom and one at the top thereof, from side to side of said outer container, the containers being substantially im rmeable to gas, heat-absorbing walls and ing arranged to discharge gas outside therefrigerated space.

7. A package including an outer 1nsulating container, products to be refrigerated packed therein and refrigerant means com prising relatively long narrow containers, substantially impermeable to gas, of solid carbon dioxide extending horizontall from side to side of said outer container, t e containers being substantially impermeable to gas, heat-absorbing walls and being arranged to discharge gas outside the refrigerated space.

8. A package comprisin an insulating container packed with ro ucts and a container of solid carbon ioxide heavily insulated'so as to maintain a desired relatively high range of refrigeratin temperatures at the outer surface thereo havlng relatively gas-tight walls and arranged to discharge gas outside the refri erated space, while preventing entrance 0 any appreciable amount of gas into the refrigerated space.

9. A package com risin an insulating container packed wit pro ucts and a container of solid carbon dioxide heavily insulated so as to maintain a desired relatively high range of refrigerating temperatures at the outer surface thereof, having relatively gas-tight walls and arranged to discharge gas outside the refrigerated space, while preventing entrance of any appreciable amount of gas into the refrigerated space, the heat absorbing area of said refrigerant containers and the distribution thereof in the refrigerated space being greater, according as the insulation and resulting' temperatures of the heat absorbing surface are greater.

10. A method of refrigerating a trans amount 0 gas into the refrigerated space,

predeterniimng the insulation of the walls to-insure above freezing temperatures for the heat absorbing surfaces thereof and compensating for such hightemperatures by correspondingly great length of the heat absorbing surfaces and extension thereof entirely across bet-ween opposite outer walls of the refrigerated space.

12. The method of refrigerating a transortation package to maintain above freezing temperatures in the refrigerated space, which method includes enclosing solid carbon dioxide in heat exchange relation with said space within approximately gas-tight walls extending in a narrow zone from-onc wall to the opposite wall of the packa e and discharging evaporated gas througi the latter walls.

13. A refrigerating receptacle comprising an outer container, an inner solid carbon dioxide covering having at least one opening therein, said inner solid carbon dioxide covering being less permeable to carbon dioxide gas than said outer container.

14. A refrigerating receptacle comprising a com aratively im ermeable solid carbon dioxi e covering, aving at least one opening therein and an outer container per meable to carbon dioxide gas. I

15. A refrigeratin receptacle comprising an inner open ende solid carbon dioxide covering, an outer container more permeable to carbon dioxide gas than said inner covering and said inner covering arranged with its open ends adjacent the walls of said outer container.

16. A refrigerating receptacle comprising an outer container permeable to carbon dioxide gas, an inner open ended solid carbon dioxide covering arranged at one end of said outer container and less permeable to carbon dioxide gas than said outer container and another similar solid carbon dioxide covering arranged at the other end of said outer container at right angles to the first mentioned inner solid carbon dioxide covering, the open ends of both of said inner coverings being adjacent to the walls of said outer container.

17. A refrigerating receptacle comprising an outer container permeable to carbon dioxide gas, an inner'solid carbon dioxide covering less permeable to carbon dioxide gas than said outer container, the ends of said inner solid carbon dioxide covering being arranged adjacent the walls of said outer container, said ends being more permeable to carbon dioxide gas than the Walls of said inner covering.

18. A refrigerating receptacle comprising an outer container permeable to carbon dioxide gas, an inner open ended solid carbon dioxide covering, less permeable to carbon dioxide gas than said outer container and arranged with its open ends pressed firmly to said outer container, whereby most of said carbon dioxide gas is prevented from coming in contact with the product to be refrigerated.

20. A refrigerating receptacle comprising an outer container relatively permeable to carbon dioxide gas, an inner en ended solid carbon dioxide covering, a no or assage, the walls of which are less permeab e to I having a wall relatively'permeable to carbon dioxide gas and the carbon dioxide gas being in free'communication with said wall,

and separating the solid carbon dioxide from the remainder of the refrigerating chamber by a covering substantial y impervious to carbon dioxide gas.

24. The rocess of refrigerating which comprises placing solid carbon dioxide in a refrigerating chamber enclosed in an open ended covering substantially impermeable to carbon dioxide gas, the open ends of said covering bei pressed against the walls of the refrigerating chamber, said walls being relatively permeable to carbon dioxide gas, to vent the gas therethrough.

Signed at New York, in the county of New Yorlz and State of New York, this 24th day of April, A. D. 1930.

CHARLES L. JONES. HOWARD S. MoILVAIN'.

carbon dioxide gas than said outer container, surroundlng said sol1d carbon dloxlde cover-- ing, both solid carbon dioxide covering and flue being arranged with their open ends adjacent the walls of said outer container.

21. The process of refrigerating which comprises placing solid carbon dioxide in a refrigerating chamber having a wall rela-' tively permeable to carbon dioxide as,with the gas from the solid carbon dioxi e in free communication with said wall and se arating the solid carbon dioxide from t e remainder of the refrigerating chamber by 'a covering substantially impermeable to carbon dioxide gas.

22. The process of refrigerating which,

comprises placing solidcarbon dioxide in a refrigerating chamber havin a wall relatively permeable to carbon dioxide gas and the carbon dioxide gas in free communication with said. wall and separatin the solid carbon dioxide from the remain er of the refrigerating chamber by an 0 en ended covering substantially impermea 1a to carbon dioxide gas and pressing the open ends of said coverin against the walls of said refrigerating c amber.

23. The "process of refrigerating which comprises placing blocks or pieces of solid carbon dioxide in the upper andlower regions of a refrigeratin chamber and at right angles to each 0t er, said chamber izo 

